Project Qatar, the region’s leading construction platform, launched the 11th International Construction Technology & Building Materials Exhibition with a press conference at The Intercontinental Doha – The City. The press conference offered a comprehensive preview of the exhibition and discussed the latter’s program and activities.

This prestigious event endorsed unprecedented support from distinguished guests including high profile dignitaries, ambassadors and members of the diplomatic community, a host of industry and company leaders and key media. Speakers reinforced Project Qatar’s role as one of the Middle East’s most important exhibitions for construction, sustainability and building materials.

In his welcome address, Mr. George Ayache, General Manager of IFP Qatar and Organizer of Project Qatar, introduced the event, “Project Qatar is a key platform for the regional and international construction industry, with its market-leading capability to address industry issues, demonstrate case studies and partner organizations and professionals across the construction equipment and building materials sectors. We are excited to enable companies to participate in its continued growth and welcome the support of the international community. We are also delighted to feature 24 international pavilions and we extend a very warm welcome to our newcomers this year – Indonesia, Palestine and Romania. Project Qatar 2014 will also be hosting a new educational platform, the Project Qatar Conference Series, organized by Advanced Conferences & Meetings (ACM).””

H.E Mr. André Dubois, Ambassador of Canada in Qatar, said: “Canada will be showcasing its capacity in the infrastructure sector at Project Qatar with a strong delegation of Canadian companies. Canada’s presence will be noted throughout the exhibition center with individual companies showcasing their own pavilions. We are continuing to pursue our ambitious trade expansion plans for Qatar and we are also actively promoting Canada as a partner of choice in Qatar’s infrastructure needs. Our companies look forward to building long lasting and prosperous relationships not only in Qatar but throughout the MENA Region”.

H.E Mr. Gao Youzhen, Ambassador of The People’s Republic of China in Qatar, said: “Qatar has huge construction and infrastructure plans in place for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the Qatar National Vision 2030. We see plenty of opportunities for business exchange with China and Qatar and we are very keen to take part in doing business in Qatar. The two countries complement each other in terms of business, commerce and in many other ways. This year, Chinese participation will be much larger than the previous years. We have 76 companies taking part and the exhibitors will be involved with building materials, doors, windows, sanitation, engineering and construction, amongst others. We are very proud to participate in Project Qatar 2014″.

H.E. Mr. Jean Christophe Peaucelle, Ambassador of France in Qatar, said: “The French companies and UBIFRANCE, the French Agency for International Business Development, are looking forward again to exhibit at Project Qatar, the most prominent exhibition in the country. Constancy of the French presence is a testimony of our fate in the Qatari market. We have reached a turning point, main packages related to the country’s infrastructure build up have started to be tendered and awarded, irrigating all the industry from the consortiums and main contractors to the subcontractors and suppliers, therefore benefiting local and international SME’s.”

“We are proud to be an important partner again in this year’s Project Qatar”, said H.E Mrs. Angelika Storz-Chakarji, Ambassador of The Federal Republic of Germany in Qatar. “For the last 10 years, Germany has shown a strong representation featuring a wide range of German expertise in the field of construction. Close to 70 German companies will offer state-of-the-art technology to the thriving Qatari market.”

H.E. Mr. Ioannis Metaxas, Ambassador of Greece in Qatar, said: “I am very pleased that there will be a Greek pavilion once again at “Project Qatar 2014″, the 11th International Construction Technology & Building Materials Exhibition. The pavilion, organized by the Greek trade and investment promotion agency “Enterprise Greece”, brings nine dynamic high-end companies to Qatar. I have no doubt that Qatari entrepreneurs will appreciate the quality and innovative products showcased at the Greek pavilion and that Qatari-Greek cooperation will be further enhanced. I also believe that the Qatari market is very important for the Greek industry, given Qatar’s geographic proximity and its orientation for quality. Construction materials manufactured in Greece meet all international and European standards, and are known for their innovative design and adaptability to different customer requests.”

H.E Mr. Sanjiv Arora, Ambassador of India in Qatar, said: “It is a pleasure to participate in the 11th edition of Project Qatar. There are 45 Indian companies taking part, representing construction, building materials, professional services, etc, and we are pleased to share multi-dimensional co-operation with Qatar. A number of our companies will be strong in eco-friendly practices which they will share with business visitors across the world. The Indian embassy has been strongly recommending greater participation. It is heartwarming to increase the amount of companies we have at Project Qatar this year. This is demonstrative of the interest of well-known Indian companies taking part in Project Qatar. We are pleased that there are concrete links of trade and commercial collaboration between India and Qatar. The amount of business leads generated last year amounted to QR100m. We are very confident that the 45 companies taking place at Project Qatar this year will open up further opportunities for expanding business.”

H.E Mr. Deddy Saiful Hadi, Ambassador of The Republic of Indonesia in Qatar, said: “In recent years, we have promoted Indonesia’s economy including tourism, culture, etc which has been highly supported by the Embassy. This year, it is our first participation at Project Qatar, which is a milestone for us. As the biggest economy in South-East Asia, we are a G20 nation and have excellent links with Qatar businesses. Taking part in Project Qatar 2014 will encourage more potential business connections and will better the relationship for both Qatar and Indonesia in the years to come. We are also delighted to take part, knowing that many international countries will also be there and increase our ability to conduct business with them.”

H.E. Mr. Chung Keejong, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Qatar, said: “Korea and Qatar share long and deep bilateral relations, and the two countries have become key trade partners. Currently, Korean involvement can be seen especially in the field of construction, and there are Korean companies in Qatar, carrying out or participating in many projects. Korean companies participating in the event will not only be interested in selling their products, but also showcasing their cutting-edge technology to Qatari companies. As we are aware, Qatar is showing remarkably rapid economic growth in recent years. Notably, it is amazing to witness the massive infrastructure developments the country is undertaking to host World Cup 2022 and these projects are a key indicator of Qatar’s appeal as a project market with huge opportunities. Given Korea’s previous experience in going through a similar development phase and in hosting the World Cup in 2002, I am sure that Korean companies can help meet the various demands arising from these rapid infrastructure development projects. This was one of the key motivations for Korea to participate in Project Qatar 2014, and we hope that it will be a good opportunity to showcase the expertise of Korean companies as well as demonstrate how it could assist Qatar.”

H.E Mr. Ahmet Demirok, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Qatar, said: “We perceive that Turkey and Qatar, as key players in the global markets, share common interests and opportunities. In this context, from the bilateral economic relations perspective, the construction sector has been the most important field so far. Turkish contracting companies have undertaken big-scale projects with higher added value such as construction of the airport, industrial facilities, highways, offices and residential premises in Qatar. I have the pleasure to announce that the total number of Turkish companies participating in Project Qatar 2014 and Qatar Stone-Tech is 43 for this year.
The brotherly relations between Turkey and Qatar motivates the two nations to deepen their business and trade relations as well. In this regard, aiming to enhance economic and commercial relations; to explore the business potential and expand current cooperation areas between Qatar and Turkey, we are participating to Project Qatar 2014.”

“The Austrian Pavilion at Project Qatar 2014 will once more be the ideal platform for many Austrian companies in the areas of interior design, green technologies, materials for construction industry and engineering services, says Mr. Gerd Bommer, Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Qatar. “Thanks to IFP Qatar, Austria’s 11 consecutive participations to Project Qatar helped established and new-to-the-market Austrian companies to reach out to the Qatari market and business partners and create new opportunities for both sides. Austrian companies already take their share in the development of Qatar as an important economy in the region and will continue to contribute with their outstanding products, services and especially know-how.”

Mr. Andrea Ferrari, Trade Commissioner of the Embassy of Italy in Qatar, said: “The Italian Trade Commission (ICE) will be organizing the Italian pavilion at Project Qatar 2014 and we are excited to be one of the most represented countries during the event. ICE is looking forward to providing a multitude of different services to the exhibitors and will host over 100 companies and associations under the 1000sqm Italian pavilion. This will have a huge impact on the visibility of the “Made in Italy” and on the improvement of the businesses between both countries. The main items of Italian exports in Qatar are represented by products of mechanical engineering, electrical equipment, steal, furniture & sanitation, motor vehicles and transport equipment. 80% of this export value is represented in all sectors of Project Qatar 2014.”

Mr. Mohamad Noor Zaky, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Malaysia in Qatar, said: “Malaysia will be participating for the 4th time. We will have 12 companies looking at specific sectors, including companies with eco-friendly practices and high quality building materials. Other specialists include architecture, engineering, decorative paint, LED and solar lighting. Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and we are excited to take part in Project Qatar 2014. Last year we generated business leads of US101.7m and Malaysia is no stranger to Qatar construction sector. We are happy to take part in this event, to further increase our business deals and to forge relationships with reputable firms.”

“We have taken part at Project Qatar six times and we have seen first-hand the value that this exhibition brings to the markets and companies it serves,” said Mr. V.S Narayanan, Managing Director, Oriental Trading Co. Ltd. “Project Qatar plays a pivotal role in the global construction industry as a leading regional exhibition and we are delighted to be part of this strategic hub to meet with like-minded companies and have the potential opportunity to accelerate the continued growth of our company.”

Project Qatar 2014 will take place at the Qatar National Convention Centre from 12 – 15 May, 4:00pm – 10:00pm. It will feature 24 international pavilions, spread across 41,500 sqm of indoor and outdoor exhibition space, and welcome 2,100+ participating companies from 47 countries. The opening ceremony of Project Qatar 2014 will be held on May 12th under the Auspices of His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Project Qatar 2014 includes two concurrent events – “Qatar StoneTech 2014″, The 3rd International Stone & Stone Technology Show and “Heavy Max 2014″, The 11th International Exhibition for Heavy Machinery, as well as three specialized conferences (PQ Conference Series): “LightingTech Qatar” on 12 – 13 May, from 08:00am to 04:00pm, “HVACTech Qatar” on 14 – 15 May, from 08:00am to 04:00pm and “Future Interiors Qatar” that will take place on 8 and 9 September.